The Brief Introduction of XAVC Format

On October 30, 2012, Sony introduced a new recording format named XAVC. It is used by Sony high-end camcorders like PMW-F55, PMW-F5, etc. Also, it is an open recording format that will be licensed to companies that want to make XAVC products.

XAVC is at the heart of Sony's industry-leading 4K products. It provides a specialized 4K format to encourage people to apply 4K technology to a wider field, such as TV shows, entertainment program, documentaries, and commercials.

This new recording format highlights Sony's commitment: providing high-quality contents to not only the professional market, but also to the consumer market.

What is XAVC S?

On April 7, 2013, Sony announced that XAVC can be expanded to the consumer market, and then the XAVC S was released. Briefly, XAVC is the professional format, that is, it is an MXF OP-1a wrapper - which is standard across broadcast platforms. While XAVC-S is the consumer format, it is an MP4 wrapper. It's optimized for consumer use.

The Relationship between XAVC and 4K

The release of XAVC/XAVC-S means to accelerate 4K development in the professional and consumer market. It can quickly record 4K video resolution (4096×2160 and 3840×2160) at up to 60 fps with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling at 600 Mbit/s.

XAVC vs AVCHD

Similarity:

XAVC and AVCHD formats adopt the same MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression technology.

Differences:

• 1. XAVC supports color depth of 8/10/12 bits, while AVCHD only supports 8 bits.
• 2. Chroma subsampling of XAVC can be 4:2:0, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4; While AVCHD can only be 4:2:0.
• 3. Take Sony PMW-F5 as an example, Sony PMW-F5 can record XAVC with 4K resolution at 60 fps at 600 Mbit/s and 2K resolution at 120 fps at 400 Mbit/s, while AVCHD, by contrast, is capped at 24Mbps for 1080 50i/50i or 28Mbps for 1080 50P/60P.

Common questions you may meet with XAVC

Q 1: How to convert 4K XAVC to Apple ProRes for editing?

A: To solve this question, you need a video converter for Mac first. That is because, even though there are many professional editing programs, you cannot use it to edit your XAVC video directly, even the powerful Final Cut Pro (if the version of your Final Cut Pro is lower than 10.0.8). By using a powerful video converter, you will convert your XAVC video to ProRes in just a few minutes.

Q 2: How can I convert 4K XAVC file before Editing in Avid?

A: Of course you can. As we all know, Avid has its own preferred encoder, which is DNxHD. If you want to edit your 4K XAVC video in Avid, you need to convert your 4K XAVC video to DNxHD format at the first time. So XAVC video converter is absolutely necessary for you to convert before editing 4K XAVC file in Avid.

Q 3: I want to convert my 4K XAVC videos to edit with video editor software, any ideas?

A: XAVC format has become more and more popular as it supports 4K resolution, which gives people a super video quality and unbeatable viewing experience, While, it is a pity that it is like an apple bitten by god, that is, it is not compatible with most video editing software. Thanks to the development of 4K video converter, you can easily convert you 4K XAVC videos to any other supported video formats and edit with the matched video editor software.

Q 4: I have a Sony PMW-F55, and it has recorded some videos. Is there any way to upload recorded 4K XAVC videos to YouTube?

A: As to your question, it is obviously that you want to upload your recorded videos to YouTube. But it is a pity that YouTube does not support XAVC format. The best way for you is to convert your XAVC format to other supported formats. That is, before uploading your XAVC videos to YouTube, you need a video converter to achieve the purpose. Or you will receive a message from YouTube: "The video has failed to process; please make sure you are uploading a supported file type."